Israel Police Ordered to Investigate Personal Data Leak of Mali and Liel Yalomi

Israel's Privacy Protection Authority has ordered the police to investigate a suspected leak of personal data belonging to Mali Yalomi and her daughter Liel, who were found in Argentina after a multi-day search. The authority believes that at least some of the information published in the media originated from the police and may have been disclosed in violation of its own regulations. The publications in question appeared after the mother and daughter were found on August 14, 2026, following several days of no contact with their family. Israeli security forces and police were involved in the search. After the women were located, media outlets released video footage from the bus where they were found, as well as interrogation recordings by a police representative. The Authority assessed that these recordings captured the women during particularly difficult moments. Additionally, details from the investigation were made public, including personal correspondence, AI service requests, financial information, transaction records, and location data. Information about their expected arrival time in Israel and their recent return was also disclosed before their actual arrival. The head of the Authority, Gilad Samama, sent a letter to Inspector General Daniyel Levi and George Kivorkian, who is responsible for internal supervision in privacy protection. Kivorkian has been tasked with determining how the video footage and personal information reached journalists. The investigation aims to establish not only the information's transmission path but also the police's reasoning for allowing its publication. The police have also been instructed to develop measures for protecting personal data when communicating with the media in similar cases and to submit the investigation's findings to the Authority. Samama emphasized that while reporting the discovery and safety of the missing individuals was important, the publication of footage from their difficult moments and the disclosure of personal data after the search concluded could have significantly infringed upon their right to privacy without sufficient justification.